Women in the Valley of the Kings

Egyptology and the infamous discoveries in the Valley of the Kings have always been attributed to a few wealthy and influential men. Sheppard’s book looks at the women who were every bit as instrumental in bringing the glories of the past to light. From Lucie Duff Gordon to Maggie Benson, readers are swept back into the golden age of archaeology and see how these women cleared the path for not only each other, but future generations of women who still follow in their footsteps. And absolute must read for history buffs and armchair, archaeologists.

Synopsis (From Netgalley, the provider of the book to review)
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. The never-before-told story of the women Egyptologists who paved the way of exploration in Egypt and created the basis for Egyptology.

The history of Egyptology is often told as yet one more grand narrative of powerful men striving to seize the day and the precious artifacts for their competing homelands. But that is only half of the story. During the Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working and exploring before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.

In Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age, Kathleen Sheppard brings the untold stories of these women back into this narrative. Sheppard begins with the earliest European women who ventured to Egypt as travellers: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their travelogues, diaries and maps chronicled a new world for the curious. In the vast desert, Maggie Benson, the first woman granted permission to excavate in Egypt, met Nettie Gourlay, the woman who became her lifelong companion. They battled issues of oppression and exclusion and, ultimately, are credited with excavating the Temple of Mut.

As each woman scored success in the desert, she set up the women who came later for their own struggles and successes. Emma Andrews’ success as a patron and archaeologist helped to pave the way for Margaret Murray to teach. Murray’s work in the university led to the artists Amice Calverley’s and Myrtle Broome’s ability to work on-site at Abydos, creating brilliant reproductions of tomb art, and to Kate Bradbury’s and Caroline Ransom’s leadership in critical Egyptological institutions. Women in the Valley of the Kings upends the grand male narrative of Egyptian exploration and shows how a group of courageous women charted unknown territory and changed the field of Egyptology forever.

I so wanted to be an Egyptologist when I was growing up but knew that the heat would kill me – a trip to Egypt confirmed this….bubble to those people who say BUT IT IS A DRY HEAT … it was unreal, In MARCH. These women were fascinating and wonderful to spend time with --- I had never heard of any of them but am now considering them rock stars especially as they are uncredited for their work

Perfect for book club and feminists … or ANTI-feminists like me! Highly recommended.

#shortbutsweetreviews

In “Women in the Valley of the Kings,” Kathleen Sheppard offers a compelling and meticulously researched work that shines a light on the often-overlooked contributions of women archaeologists. The book excels in its detailed portrayal of the challenges and triumphs faced by these scholars. It not only celebrates their scientific achievements but also acknowledges the societal barriers they had to overcome.

While the book is a treasure trove of information, it occasionally gets bogged down in academic detail and tone, which might deter casual readers.

I absolutely loved this book! Great historical information and great if you want to read about some fantastic women doing things that they were said they shouldn’t or couldn’t do. It was sad that it’s taken them so long to get the recognition they deserve about their discoveries.

This is a really interesting book about some wonderful adventurous women! A must read for people who love women's history!

Inspiring read about the women who bucked the norms of their time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to explore Egypt and contribute to our overall knowledge of the ancient world. Kudos to Kathleen Shepphard for highlighting these learned, ambitious, and deeply interesting women -- most of whom are relatively unknown.

I was so excited to read this book. My first international trip was to Egypt, and while I am far from an expert I was thrilled to see a side of Egyptology that was completely unfamiliar to me.

There are aspects of archaeology that are more favorable—the concepts of discovery, uncovering history, spreading awareness of other cultures, etc. But the unfavorable aspects, like plundering artifacts, can’t be overlooked. Women in this book actively participated in both. The book does confront some uncomfortable truths. The contributions of Egyptians who who worked on these sites are largely overlooked, which the book acknowledges and to a small degree attempts to rectify—but the lack of available information on Egyptian workers is a difficult barrier to overcome.

That being said, these women’s contributions were certainly valuable. Many of the male Egyptologists they worked alongside did not take notes or keep records and used very destructive methods when excavating. The women’s record-keeping and conservation efforts were often essential in preserving knowledge for their own and future generations. I found some of the subjects more interesting than others—field work interests me more than administrative/curatorial roles—but that does not mean the latter are less valuable or less worthy of inclusion in this book. I appreciate the effort to give a thorough account of women’s contributions to the field.

First a big thank you to the publisher as well as to the author and NetGalley for the invite to read and review this ,I'm so glad that I decide to pick it up and read it because this is part of the history I knew nothing about because you never hear of the Women Egyptologists , you only hear about the men, and this book brought them life as well as brought them out of the shadows . Which each turn of the pages you see how far they made it so other girls could fellow in their footsteps.

Women in the Valley of the Kings is a rich historical look at many of the women who excavated and explored the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. I thoroughly enjoyed their stories, both in Egypt and abroad, and found the book well researched and detailed. It opened up my interest in learning more about these women and other women in archaeology and exploration during this time.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book on the history of women in the field of Egyptology, their discoveries, their importance in educating others and how these women and their rich lives have been unfairly erased from history.

There is a lot of talk about the contributions of people unfairly forgotten by history. Most of these contributions are from women, people with different lifestyle choices, and people of color. The saddest thing about this is not that history has forgotten them, history is impartial, it is their fellow co-workers, researchers, teachers, and mentors who have omitted them. Sure it was of the time, but who made the time. And if these people could see so far in the past, couldn't they see the future should have a few more names to discuss. I have read many books on Egyptology, starting as a child, and seen even more mummy movies. Only one movie featured a woman being a researcher, and that was in the 1990's Mummy movie. Most of the rest are helpful, supportive, spouses, if women are even mentioned at all. I knew nothing of these women featured in this book, those who gave their health, their time, and lives to a field, though problematical, was one they popularized. Nor the rich lives and relationships they shared, even during an era that was known for its lack of freedom, any kind of freedom for women. Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard is a history that is much more about women living their best lives, ignoring the constraints forced on them, and engaging in a new field of study that many made their own, and yet still were denied credit.

The book is broken into 7 chapters featuring women in duos, or alone who slowly entered the field of Egyptology, sometimes without knowing why, and blazed paths that allowed the women in the next chapter to follow. These women had a few things going for them. Wealth, power in some cases, a strong will, and a sense of adventure. And a strong intelligence. The book introduces us to women who found companions like themselves, sometimes after bad engagement, or marriages, many traveling to the deserts of Egypt for health. Many travelled because they could, again wealth being helpful. A few wrote books about their experiences, some that have gone on to be important in the field. Many of them stayed together their whole loves, a love that dare not speak its name, but right there for all to see. One taught for almost 40 years, teaching future Egyptologists how to dig, how to read, and how to act. While sharing chocolate, and talking about witches. The whol book has extraordinary stories about women, who shouldn't be forgotten, but shared and celebrated, for all that they accomplished.

This book was not at all what I expected, and I am the better for it. So many great stories, so many strong companions, full of love and strength. Reading a book like this I expected to tear up because of mummy dust, and sand. Not about two people dying and sharing a gravestone of an obelisk with an Ankh carving in a cemetery in England. Sheppard has done a wonderful job of bringing these women to life, showing their unhappy lives in many cases, or in some cases odd marriages, and suddenly being overcome by Mummy-Mania. There is just so much here. Travels through Europe, up the Nile, bursting into tombs, and making great discoveries, and breaking a lot of stuff. Lectures of America. And women finding each other, making their lives complete, while the world shakes it heads at the lonely spinsters.

Amazingly in-depth research, and great writing. One of my favorite history books of the year, and probably my favorite book of the year. Recommended for history fans, Egyptology interested people, and for people in the LGBT community. These stories should be known. I found a whole group of new heroes here. I hope this book becomes a bestseller so others can know their tale.

Wonderful book. This book bring light to women whose work is not well known. Credit was often claimed by men. Sheppard's writing is good and you can tell she did extensive research. This book should appeal to a broad range of readers, especially women.

It was sixth grade Social Studies. I forget exactly what Mrs. Melquist was teaching us but I remember a slideshow, and I remember that it included pictures of the treasures found in King Tut’s tomb. That was the first I knew of archaeology and Egyptology. And I was hooked.

Not enough to become an archaeologist or an Egyptologist, but enough to consume all things Ancient Egypt that I came across from that point on. I knew about Howard Carter and the supposed curse of King Tut’s tomb before I started junior high.

What I didn’t know, until very recently, was what role women played in founding the science of Egyptology and uncovering some very important things beneath the sands of Egypt. And by ‘until very recently,’ I do mean until I saw Women in the Valley of the Kings available on NetGalley and read the summary. So you can imagine how pleased I was to receive an ARC.

Kathleen Sheppard paints a vivid picture of the women who went to Egypt seeking respite from their health issues and ended up uncovering temples, founding historical societies, and changing the understanding of the world at a time when were not, or at least are not remembered for, changing the world. It’s the very definition of falling down a proverbial rabbit hole and having your hobby become your passion become your purpose.

Some of the most fascinating parts of the story Sheppard tells are;

- that women who were in lesbian relationships with other women were often more successful because having a ‘partner’ rather than a husband put them on equal footing with the men working in the field, and it was easier to travel to and Egypt with someone than alone
- that some women Egyptologists tried to quit the jobs they had, because there was too much work (especially when they were also caring for husbands and parents), only to be stopped from doing that because it was cheaper to pay women than to pay men (so that hasn’t changed) in over a hundred years
- that even though the science of Egyptology has mostly developed in the last century and a half, so much of the contribution that women made in the early days has been buried and is rarely acknowledged in favor of the glamour of Howard Carter and other men, even as the research women like Lucie Duff Gordon, Amelia Edwards, Emma Andrews, and Margaret Murray (among many others) is still used and cited

If you’re a student of history, officially or unofficially, and you have an interest in Egyptology and/or the role of women in creating a branch of study dedicated to Egypt at a time when it was not easy to be a woman, I feel certain this is a book you’ll want to read.

— publish date of July 16, 2024

***I received a copy of Women in the Valley of the Kings through NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest and original review.***

This was a comprehensive, informative overview of the first female Egyptologists and their contributions. The focus is entirely on the women themselves and less about the history of Egyptology or historical Egypt. I appreciated the discussion of how difficult it was to find the legacy of some of these women, and how they may have remained unknown if it weren't for the letters, journals, and professional correspondence left behind. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the women who administrated as opposed to those who spent more time in the field. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Egyptology and anyone wanting to learn more about a group of women through their writings.

Successful discoveries in the Valley of Kings have always been attributed to wealthy men, and the women behind the scenes were left in the shadows. This book brings their stories to life, laying the groundwork for women who came after them in the field of Egyptology. 

This was a page-turner, especially when retelling the famous digs that took place in the Valley of Kings. The author relies on the women’s journals and letters, which add a more personal touch to their lives. It was interesting to see how each woman’s contributions paved the way for the next generation of female Egyptologists. Whether it was financial support for historic digs, copying hieroglyphics on site, educating others in the field and gaining support, and curating Egyptian exhibits to ensure the artifacts found were preserved for many generations to come. It was also great to see the author giving credit to those who were actually doing the backbreaking work of physically digging up the tombs themselves. They also weren’t given any credit throughout history, even though they were the ones sweating their butts off. 
If you’re interested in Egyptology at all, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It was a great time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc.

I really enjoyed this. The main focus in time is from about 1875 to 1930 with some outlying information. My knowledge of Egyptology comes nearly entirely from fiction. Primarily Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series (also Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's <i>Out of the House of Life</i>). It seems clear fictional Amelia began as an amalgam of the historical Amelia and likely other women Egyptologists of the era.

Chapters focus on specific woemen and are in chronological order. I appreciate the details of the relationships between all the different women. I don't mean specifically those who were couples, but how they also worked together. I did enjoy learning that Theodore Davis' fortune was ill-gotten gains!

For those with an interested in women overlooked by history, Egyptology in the gilded age, and fans of Elizabeth Peters.

Rarely do we associate early Egyptological discoveries with the work and contributions of women. This books brings to light the stories of 11 women who were there and who helped establish the foundation of Egyptology today.

I love that Kathleen Sheppard choose to tell the story in a way that emphasizes the importance of not only each woman’s achieve but whole the foundation each woman helped set so that whoever followed her could built up off it. While Egyptology if mostly associated with the archeological work, Sheppard highlights the importance of written documents as well. These women wrote travelogues, drew maps, and wrote incredibly detailed notes in their diaries. All becoming important first hand accounts to their experiences and to the study Egyptology. Maggie Benson was the first woman to receive a permit to excavate and therefore open the door for so many others to follow. Margaret Murray becomes as teacher and helps shape a new generation of Egyptologists.

I’ve been a fan of Egyptology ever since I was a young girl and I dreamed of becoming an archeologist. I just had to pick up this read and I loved it every step of the way. Would recommend.

What a well done book that included so many details that made the story so richly told. One never knows the amount of effort and time that women gave to projects of a time past.

This has always been a subject that is so interesting to me and I was happy to learn that these women were more conservators than those looking to cash in on their finds.

I was beyond happy to get my hands on this as I have read nonfiction on both subjects --the gilded age and the early days of Egyptology. I had no idea that there were women in history responsible for numerous discoveries and how their money was put to go use. Rather than tea parties with other socialites these women actually put their inheritance to good use. A path many of today's 1% people should follow.
Highly recommend for anyone interested in a part of Egyptology that has been hidden and pf course history lovers and those curious about women's careers set in a time when they really didn't have any options.

This is a very interesting and informative book! If you're someone who's interested in Egyptian artifacts and history, you'll enjoy this book! The imagery is spectacular! I could picture myself in Egypt, with the views of the mountains and tombs! I also enjoyed reading about the women who made a legacy and left their footprints in time.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from St Martin's Press via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Women in the Valley of the Kings is about the work of the women who helped shaped the field of Egyptology despite not getting the credit they deserved for it. This book is great for those interested in knowing more about archeology and Egyptology and the contributions women made to the fields. The women followed in this book are Lucie Duff Gordon, Amelia Edwards, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their stories are a reminder of how often women get overlooked for their accomplishments while men get the credit.

Before reading this I'd only ever heard of the men doing archeology in Egypt like Howard Carter, but women were shaping the field in Egypt before he even showed. I had no idea about the women who so instrumental to the field. I was shocked by how much the women contributed only to remain relatively unknown today. However, the book was dry and dense at times and I found myself skimming some sections since there is just so much covered.

An overview and biography of several women who were important to the fields of archaeology and Egyptology but received little-to-none of the acclaim due to them. Covering the 19th and 20th centuries, the book was both an interesting overview of how archaeological explorations worked in Egypt at that time as well as a chance to learn about these women and their lives, as well as their specific accomplishments in the form of administration, organization, and education. I enjoy reading about archaeology so some of the background was familiar to me, and I think the book may be a little difficult if you are coming to it with no knowledge of Egypt in the late 19th-early 20th centuries or the process to assign archaeological sites. It's great to see the lives of these consequential women get attention. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I enjoyed this smart, well-researched account of the British women who helped form the field of Egyptology through their patronage, archaeological skills, and scholarship. Deftly explaining the social mores of the time period and the restrictions on women in British society, Sheppard unpacks the value of all of the work done to create and keep archaeological and other scholarly societies going, the ways in which women obtained training that was generally forbidden to them, and how they shaped the narratives of discovery and history in the excavations of Egypt's early rulers. The book is thorough but never pedantic, and provides readers with the fruits of meticulous research in numerous archives and libraries. No subject is taboo: Sheppard explains that many of the women involved in the work were queer, and how their relationships enabled them to do the kind of work they did and influenced their outlook on women in charge. I can't wait to get a copy of the print version and see the photographs, which are omitted in this Kindle version.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book focuses on the women who helped with many different aspects of excavating in Egypt with their time, talents, and money. There is a lot of detail, but the personal expriences are the most interesting. There are a few places where it seems like you are just hearing about the same details from another POV so perhaps a few things could've been edited out, but overall I found it to be an interesting read about this time in history.

This was an excellent overview of some of the many women who helped to found the field of Egyptian archaeology. It was great getting to learn more details about women I'd only heard mentioned in passing, and Sheppard did a fantastic job of exploring their many contributions to the field. I especially liked her focus on the importance of administration and academics, and she really highlighted the many ways women were essential even if they weren't manually digging out tombs themselves.

My only complaints would be that the tone could be a little uneven, jumping back and forth from dry, academic text to very chatty speculations about what the women were thinking or feeling, and it could be a little confusing when the story jumped around in time, going from the 1950s, back to the 1890s, back to the 1920s again. However, even though I would've liked a more in-depth, chronological survey that explored multiple women's viewpoints simultaneously, I can see why the book's current structure might make it a little more accessible and fun for some to read.

I am linking my public review below - this is a great book! However, in terms of editing, it is pretty clear that a chapter/longer section about Lucy Duff Gordon was originally in the text as there are several instances when she is referenced in a way that assumed the reader is familiar with her life and experience - these mentions will need to be edited out unless you plan to put the chapter back in!

Interesting angle and perspective on Egyptology, debunking a lot of misconceptions we held about the people who spearheaded this study. The book shared letters and testimonies about three interesting women. This is a book sorely needed in our age.

Having the opportunity to read an early copy of this was greatly appreciated because the synopsis for this was fascinating and growing up, I learned a lot about ancient Egypt and the Valley of the Kings and I’m a big fan of learning history (hated it in school, love it on my own) so I really wanted to read this.

Women Egyptologists weren’t as well regarded at the time as men (not much has changed on that front either, unfortunately) but they changed the face of history regardless and reading the entries about their lives was intriguing. Very well researched and presented.

This isn’t the type of book I was able to read all at once - this took quite a few sittings to get through - I think I would have preferred listening to an audiobook of this over reading it. But I did enjoy learning more about this and would recommend to readers interested in the Gilded Age, Egyptian history, or simply those interested in history.



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

"If one had the time to travel and the money to support excavations or purchasing artifacts, or both, that was enough to make you an archaeologist at this point in the history of archaeology in Egypt."

During the Golden Age of Exploration, there were women working, exploring, and traveling long before Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut. Before men even conceived of claiming the story for themselves, women were working in Egypt to lay the groundwork for all future exploration.

Their stories have been lost, omitted or just forgotten. But in this book we discover the women who went to Egypt and their stories.

Lucie Duff Gordon, Amelia Edwards and Marianne Brocklehurst. Their diaries, maps, and step by step looks at their travels and their finds.

They were up against a lot of oppression, bad behavior, and sometimes loss of credit for a dig. But each of these women paved the way for the women who came after them.
What a beautiful story this is. I love learning about women in Egypt and this was the perfect book for me.

NetGalley/ St. Martin’s Press July 16, 2024

This book tracks Amelia Edwards, Maggie Benson, Emma Andrews, Myrtle Broome, Caroline Ransom Williams, and other women Egyptologists, and how their work contributed to the field. These women are only a few who made great contributions but are hardly mentioned. The book is well researched and informative. The details the author provides help us imagine what the daily life of these women may have been like.

this book is so empowering for women!!!! i cannot even begin to explain how proud i am of these women after reading this book. highly recommend to all audiences looking for an uplifting and eye opening reader experience

This is a history of the great many accomplishments of a multitude of women in Egyptology. These women achieved much, with little early recognition, despite the overshadowing of their male colleagues. Fighting pay inequality, gendered field expectations, and access to education these women dazzled in their field and remade it to be what we recognize today.

I appreciated the recognition and discussion not just on the science done by these women, but also their friendships and relationships with each other. The trope of “and they were seen as two friends” in historical works can be exhausting, especially when paired with passionate love letters, so having that outright acknowledged was refreshing. We’re in a time in archaeology where our discussion of queer interpretation of evidence, or bare minimum keeping an open mind to queer expressions, in our sites and subjects is part of regular consideration, so having that done here so well was delightful.

I especially found myself frustrated, though, reading examples where they would disappear from history after a heterosexual marriage, or where they would assume womanly duties and caregiving tasks for a husband or parent. Even worse, the reality of recognizing a woman’s indispensability to the field, only to take her for granted. One example in particular, Caroline Ransom Williams, who was the best educated, trained, and experienced Egyptologist in the US, but couldn’t get museums to hire replacements for her in the form of male colleagues. Why you may ask? They couldn’t afford to pay a man’s salary. It’s one thing to know that happened (happens still), but to literally see academic work NOT get done because of it? Damn.

Overall the descriptions of fieldwork to the landscape were engaging. The scholarship here is clearly high marked and was wonderfully written as well. As an archaeologist myself I was also lost in the dream of Egypt’s beauty and promise early in my education, and this made me wish to go back, and maybe push 19 year old me not to listen to how dangerous it might, but and to go explore.

With extensive research and engaging storytelling, the author shines a spotlight on these remarkable women and their overlooked achievements, the pioneering women who defied convention to make significant contributions to the field of Egyptology during the Gilded Age. Naunton chronicles the many obstacles that these women faced, from societal prejudice to institutional barriers, and celebrates their tenacity in overcoming them. The author explores the evolving roles of women in society during the Gilded Age, shedding light on the ways in which changing attitudes towards gender influenced the field of archaeology and vice versa.

A wonderful story about women Egyptologists. If you love Evie Carmichael from The Mummy, this book will fascinate you like it did me. I love untold historical stories, especially about women. This was a perfect read for me. It was informative, engaging, and entertaining.

Women in the Valley of the Kings by Kathleen Sheppard

304 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: July 16, 2024

Nonfiction (Adult), Biographies, Memoirs, History, Egypt, Archeology

This is an informative take on eleven women who were early pioneers in archeology. There has been very little written about these women and their contributions in the field. Most of these women found comfort in the company of other women.These are the women included in this book.

Amelia Edwards and Marianne Brocklehurst
Maggie Benson and Nettie Gourlay
Emma Andrews
Margaret Alice Murray
Kate Griffin and Emily Paterson
Mrytle Broome and Amice Calverley
Caroline Ransom Williams

The book is well written and researched. I wish more people knew about these brave women trying to compete in a man’s world. If you enjoy reading women’s history and archeology, you may like this book.

Women in the Valley of the Kings details the lives and experiences of eleven women who made significant contributions to the archaeological work in Egypt during the late 19th and early twentieth centuries. While the early male archaeologists/excavators were more often motivated by what they could remove/rape for profit, the women were more concerned with the protection of sites. Author Kathleen Sheppard has written an interesting, distinctly feminist book that anyone interested in Egyptian archaeology should enjoy. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Highly recommend.

There are a lot of books on the early years of archeology in Egypt. It's an interesting topic and there are plenty of ways to look at it from both the standpoint of what was being dug up and the evolving ways of excavating. This book looks at the contributions of women in the field. In some ways this must have been a difficult topic to research. The women left behind plenty of records of their work, but personal details of their lives are a bit thinner. This book is an excellent read if you are looking to make your understanding of Egyptology more robust.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy of the book. This review represents my opinion of the title.

This was a thorough and well-researched book about women's contributions to Egyptology and how each woman inspired those women who came after her. I also appreciated how Sheppard did not shy away from the colonial evils of Egyptology. It gave a much more nuanced look. Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press for this ARC.

A refreshing look at the women who were pioneers in the developing field of Egyptology, but often overshadowed by their more prominent and famous male colleagues. Beyond that, it's also a fascinating book for those interested in learning about Egyptology as a field, and some of the prominent discoveries within.

A very interesting look at the women who helped to make Egyptology the phenomenon it was and is. The men couldn't have become households without the women who raised the money and did much of the work.

**********
Kathleen Sheppard
Women in the Valley of the Kings

Finally, a book acknowledging women for their contributions to Egyptian archaeology.
This is also a book about women’s friendships in the 19th and 20th CAD. Their subsequent books and journals assured female readers that they could travel alone confidently, have fun and survive quite nicely. Kathleen Sheppard uses original sources to create this very interesting story that reads as smoothly as fiction. So many intrepid ladies deserve excavation credit as well as the local diggers, but history credits men until this book. They even engaged in a bit of antiquities smuggling. They financed some of the most amazing discoveries. They trained the locals in proper digging techniques.
It boggles my mind that these tough ladies wearing yards of fabric, voluminous skirts and cinched waists, managed the Egyptian heat and managed an excavation with diligence and exactness.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What an interesting story about strong women venturing into Egypt and working among other archeologists. In a man's world at the time I had not heard this story and was very engaged with the characters. This was an easy read with a great history that I was not aware of. A must-historical read on a subject I knew little about before this book.

“Women in the Valley of the Kings” is a fascinating look at the women who never made the headlines for their archeological work in Egypt in the late 1800s and early 1900s — those accolades went to William Petrie, Howard Carter, and others. Female scientists were few on the ground, and even when they were responsible for ground-breaking work, men took the credit.

The author's primary research into the women’s papers and books gives her “characters” depth and makes them real. It seemed like these women knew how to have fun, even in challenging circumstances — and while wearing crazy petticoats in 100F heat.

I thoroughly enjoyed this deep dive into ancient Egypt and the stories of the women who helped build our understanding of it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

There was a sentence about 1/5 of the way into this book that I stopped and highlighted, because it seemed to sum up things so well. "If one had the time to travel and the money to support excavations or purchasing artifacts, or both, that was enough to make you an archaeologist at this point in the history of archaeology in Egypt." One has to take this fact into account when reading the stories of the women covered in this book (most of whom were British).

Some of them indeed had time and money, and after wandering into Egypt in hopes of a more healthful climate, they were smitten with what they saw going on, and decided they wanted to do it too, so they got together a bunch of money, found some man who was interested in or experienced with archaeology, and went off and started a dig; at which point they managed the day to day hiring and paying of the local workers who REALLY did the work. Some of them ended up holding the reins at home of academic departments, or of foundations set up to promote interest in and solicit funds for archaeological activity in Egypt, which they did extremely well. Some of them were such talented artists that they made better documentation of the interior art in excavated tombs than contemporary photographers could do. On the whole, I do not come away with the impression that they did research and chose likely locations to dig in, and had a leadership role in the actual archaeology.

On the other hand, at least pre 1900, given that nobody really had any expertise in this field, the men who were out there leading digs mostly seemed to be bashing about shouting "By jove" and "What ho" and often destroying as much as they appropriated. So context is important!

I am most convinced of the substantive work of Caroline Ransom, who almost singlehandedly documented and managed the Met Egyptian collections, and also traveled around documenting other collections as well. She had to amass a huge amount of knowledge in order to create guidebooks for the popular audiences who were flocking to see these items, as well as develop a procedure by which teams from the University of Chicago created hand-made copies of tomb art (which began to decay and vanish as the outside air flowed into the excavated tombs).

A few things needed the eye of a careful editor. For example, she refers to "hospital parades" a dozen or so pages before she actually tells you what they were. Occasionally a sentence just doesn't quite make sense or read smoothly and could have benefited from some rearranging. The chronology became a little confusing, as following the story of one woman would mean bringing in another one, briefly, even though her chapter was yet to come. At one point, someone is accompanied somewhere by "Nettie" but there is no indication that Nettie Gourlay was present at that site so I'm not sure how she popped into that paragraph and perhaps that was a mistake?

On the whole, it's fair to say that Egyptian archaeology, such as it was between 1880 and 1930, would not have been able to accomplish what it did without the skills and talents of these women, even if they were not out leading digs. That doesn't mean everything they did was super fascinating. If you already have some interest and background in ancient Egypt, this book will make a lot more sense to you; if you don't, this may or may not be a good place to start.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read an advance galley of this book. I wish the pictures had been in it!!!

This was a fascinating book. Not only did I enjoy the look at ancient Egypt, but the story of the women who worked there was wonderful

This book explores the unknown women Egyptologists during the height of scouring Egypt for archaeological finds. This book does a wonderful job of starting out stating that these women were just as guilty as the men of helping steal Egypt’s history and sell it off to European museums. However, most people only talk about the men that found and stole those artifacts. These women were instrumental in helping with that endeavor. Whether it was doing the paperwork behind the scene, securing funding for the excavations, or educating other people to become Egyptologists, these women made it happen. Seeing how Egyptology grew because of these women and how their lives crossed similar paths is fascinating to read about.

The book focuses on 11 women in 7 chapters. Each of the chapters explains how that woman/women were influential in a particular way with the growth of Egyptology and getting women involved in it as well. Pictures and references to primary sources help piece together exactly what these women did even if history didn’t choose to remember them.

As a lover of history, I understood the love the ladies had for ancient Egypt. It was the time period that first captured my interest as well. They wanted to know more and they wanted to get others involved in discovering the secrets of Egypt’s past.

As someone who studies and teaches history, I hated how careless most of the people were with the artifacts they found. Stealing, smuggling, or using explosives to find artifacts is detrimental to the country which the items belong to. You’re ruining their history. If something is stolen or smuggled, it could be lost forever and any insights that the artifacts may have had are also gone. I understand that during the time period of these women, those ideas were not even an afterthought, it does not condone their actions but provides examples of what not to do going forward. The women in this book though, worked tirelessly to try to preserve the history they were helping to discover and understand. Luckily, modern day archaeologists have found safer ways to remove and study these precious items so the amount of loss is greatly reduced.

* Special thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Women in the Valley of the Kings” is a non-fiction book by Kathleen Sheppard. Let me start off by saying that Ms. Sheppard did a lot of research before writing this book. This book has not only stories of women most have never heard of before, but their stories are fascinating. I did find, at times, the details a bit too detailed and also having to stop more frequently than normal in order to take a break from all the information. However, I think that if one has an interest in Egyptology and want to know more about the contributions of women to that subject, this book would be a fantastic one to read.

Reading about Egyptology from the viewpoint of the women involved was refreshing and delightful. The author starts with women traveling to Egypt which opened the way for women to get involved in Egyptology in a variety of different ways. I liked the chronological format of the book, and how each story overlapped slightly with the one before it. I enjoyed learning about the women's lives, and also gaining a new view on the history of Egyptology. This book would appeal to historians, as well as people interested in women's studies. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Before reading Women in the Valley of the Kings, I was totally unaware of the number of women who were present and participating in the then budding field of Egyptology. I am definitely going to seek out the original works mentioned in Kathleen Sheppard's book.

While this book is about a time and place I find very interesting and I enjoyed that it was about the women who went to Egypt to work in the archeology digs, I found it difficult to read in long stretches. I realize the women did not approach the work in the same way the men did; they were involved in education and health care for the locals as well. They also entertained tourists who came to see the digs (or just to sponge off them for a few days). All these other duties kept them from their Egyptology. I was less interested in the details of their other duties and there were a lot of these details. This work is more of an academic book that students of female archeologists in Egypt would be able to mine for information. Sheppard has studiously referenced many sources and footnoted assiduously. She really knows her subject and has done students of Egyptian archeology a great favor by bringing all the work together. I wish the ARC showed the images instead of just providing the captions
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC; the opinions expressed are wholly my own.

It's not often you find historical accounts of the contributions of women working in Egypt. This book was very well written. Kathleen Sheppard did a wonderful job and kept my attention throughout the whole book. If you have interest in Egyptian history, give this book a go. You won't regret it.

This is a well researched and detailed history of women egyptologists during the Gilded Age. Amazing stories are unearthed of women who contributed to the birth of egyptology. Women preserved the history of this time period with detailed drawings of tombs, meticulous records of excavations, and diaries to give us a real idea of the day to day life in Egypt. This book is a fascinating read because these women traveled extensively in a time period that would have made it challenging on many levels. They had to overcome societal and cultural biases to live their dreams. They often worked hard in research, publishing, and academics without recognition.
This book will be a wonderful read for people who want to learn more about the history of egyptology and the role of women that was crucial to its’ success and preservation.

Thank you St.Martin’s press and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

It is difficult to find a work of nonfiction that does not lose my interest after the first couple chapters. As much as I love reading microhistories, sometimes the nuance of the history and its players becomes too hard to follow for non-experts. Kathleen Sheppard's writing is nothing like this. She renders these women with such familiarity and accessibility to a general audience, each of these women's personal lives--their desires, struggles, ambitions--is memorable, impressional, and absolutely inspirational. Sheppard writes with the passion of a historian who has done her due diligence--and it most certainly shows in the way she skillfully scaffolds each woman's contributions and connections to Egyptology throughout the book. When women are purposefully forgotten in the historical record, researching women is no easy task; I applaud Sheppard for her work and making it look easy. This is a beautiful and necessary book. I could not get enough about these women and the everlasting marks they left on the field of Egyptology.

Women in the Valley of the Kings clarifies the influence, expertise, and curiosity of women in the world of Egyptology compared to the praise heaped on men whose success and recognition were often supported and led by said women. The commitment and excitement of discovery, the endless hours of excavation, their care on site, and the perfection that was so often part of recording their discoveries is painstakingly considered in this book.

Kathleen Sheppard carefully describes the biographies of and relationships these pioneer women exhibited. The women did often seem terribly patient and supportive of the men who used their skills to further their own careers. In the book, the women's intimate relationships to each other in a society where such a thing was not exactly fully embraced at the time are pointed out. And of course some of the women married and had children.

The details of the various excavations and hunts for temples, graves, and grave art are fascinating. The Temple of Mut was excavated by Maggie Benson and Nettie Gourlay, and Amice Calverley and Myrtle Broome worked on site at Abydos. The three women who first went to the Valley of the Kings in search of what ancient Egypt had to offer led the way: Amelia Edwards, Jenny Lane, and Marianne Brocklehurst. Kate Bradbury and Caroline Ransom took Egyptology into academia, and ensured that eventually, museums and universities incorporated what all of these women had studied and discovered. And, there are references to extremely wealthy men without whose financial help much of this discovery would not have been possible.

Perhaps the only aspect of these searches which might have been treated in some depth is the apparent ease with which artifacts were taken from their original sites to other countries and other exhibitions. However, Sheppard does refer to Egyptian officials and official guidelines that somewhat tempered what was extracted from the temples and grave sites.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this wonderfully informative and well-written book.

I love these women. They were amazing women.i had never heard of any of them but am fascinated by their work.

A wonderful, amazing story that will stay with me.

Thank you netgalley and publisher

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

I have read some of this book and found it really interesting, but the ebook format for the ARC is quite blocky and isn't working very well for me, so I will revisit this book once it comes out and I can either a physical copy or an audiobook. What I did read was a 5 stars though!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.